The Superintendent and other central office administrators take active leadership roles in the implementation of educational policies and programs.

Active leadership on the part of the administration ensures successful implementation of school Board policies and continual improvement of the educational system.

The district's administrative organization shall be designed so that all divisions and departments of the central office and all schools are part of a single system guided by Board policies which are implemented through the Superintendent.  Principals and central office administrators are expected to administer their units in accordance with Board policy and the Superintendent's rules and procedures.  In addition, vision, initiative, resourcefulness, and wise leadership are essential for effective administration.

The School Board shall be responsible for clearly specifying requirements and expectations of the Superintendent, holding the Superintendent accountable by evaluating how well those requirements and expectations have been met.  The Superintendent shall be responsible for clearly specifying requirements and expectations for all other administrators and holding each of them accountable.

ADMINISTRATIVE OPERATIONS

The School Board delegates to the Superintendent responsibility for the administration of the schools.  His/her authority to administer stems not only from this action but also from powers conferred upon him/her by the Mississippi School Laws and the regulations of the State Board of Education.

To guide the Superintendent in determining the pattern of his/her administrative operations, the Board offers the following statements of intent:

1.    The Board will devote its major effort to clarifying and establishing goals for the school system, to weighing and adopting policies to guide the professional staff, to appraising results achieved in relation to the goals, and to performing such ministerial functions as required by law and state regulations.

2.    The Board does not wish unnecessary barriers erected between itself and members of the professional staff, or between and among residents and parents of the city, students of the

schools, and members of the professional staff.  The Board values the most free interchange of ideas as preeminently desirable in the school system.  Nothing should be allowed to interrupt the free and open flow of ideas and assistance among personnel at every level.

3.    The Board encourages the Superintendent to keep abreast of and to apply the best known administrative concepts and procedures designed to harness the total talents of the school system's personnel in enthusiastic pursuit of the schools' goals.

LINE OF RESPONSIBILITY

Each employee of the school district, except the Board attorney, shall be responsible to the Board of Trustees through the Superintendent.

From students, responsibility flows directly through Teachers, Principals, Assistant Superintendent, Superintendent, to the Board.

Whenever possible, each member of the staff shall be made responsible to only one immediate superior for any one function.

Each member of the staff shall be told to whom he is responsible, and for what functions.

All personnel shall refer matters requiring administrative action to the administrative officer immediately in charge of the area in which the problem arises.  Administrative officers shall refer such matters to the next higher authority when necessary.

LINE AND STAFF RELATIONSHIPS

The central office administrative staff is responsible for over-all system-wide educational leadership and for coordinating the educational program within policy established by the Board.  All system-wide services emanate from the central office. All official system-wide committees, councils, and coordinating groups shall be based in the central office.

The principal of each school is the responsible administrator in the building.  All personnel, both professional and non-instructional, who work in the school either on a full or part-time basis are responsible administratively to the principal.  All contacts with personnel, instructional or non-instructional, are made through the principal's office.

Major goals of administration in the district shall be to:

1.    Manage the district's various departments, units, and programs effectively;

2.    Provide professional advice and counsel to the Board and to advisory groups established by Board action.  Preferably, where feasible, this will be done through reviewing alternatives, analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of each, and recommending a selection from among the alternatives;

3.    Implement the management function so as to assure the best and most effective learning programs, through achieving such sub-goals as (a) providing leadership in keeping abreast of current educational developments; (b) arranging for the staff development necessary to the establishment and operation of learning programs that better meet more learner needs; (c) coordinating cooperative efforts at improvement of learning programs, facilities, equipment, and materials; and (d) providing access to the decision making process for improvement ideas of staff, students, parents, and others.

The Mississippi Public School Accountability Standard for this policy is Standard 3. 

LEGAL REF.: MS CODE as cited

         Mississippi Public School Accountability Standards

ADOPTED:    11/08/2005

REVISED:      11/10/2009